Covina-Valley Unified School District celebrated the resilience and extraordinary accomplishments of its diverse Class of 2023 with five vibrant graduation ceremonies filled with powerful music, moving speeches, and festive streamer cannons. Over four days, a total of 1,064 Covina-Valley Unified graduates were individually recognized and had their names read aloud to packed, cheering crowds filled with friends and family. The District’s Class of 2023 included 38 valedictorians and 229 graduates with honors for attaining GPAs of 3.65 to 4.0.
Whittier Union Board to Fill Vacancy During Special Board Meeting
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees will interview six eligible candidates to fill the vacancy for the Trustee Area 3 seat, following Dr. Ralph S. Pacheco’s retirement from the Board on July 7, 2023. The candidates, all from Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk, will participate in a candidate orientation during a Special Board Meeting beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 10 at the District Board Room, 9401 S. Painter Ave., Whittier. Following the orientation, candidates will be interviewed during open session. At the conclusion of the interviews, the Board will deliberate during open session and vote to appoint a provisional seat to the Whittier Union Board of Trustees.
The Shull Elementary School cafeteria, transformed into a marketplace of ideas, was loud with the machinations of commerce as fourth-grade students hawked everything from homemade jewelry and painted rocks to daisy chains and origami jumping frogs during its end-of-the-year Business Day, held June 2. The Shull Business Day is a twice-yearly event that encourages students to create their own business plans, then use play money they have accumulated over the school year to purchase, trade or bargain with their classmates and their families. Students earn money throughout the year by completing assignments and displaying good behavior, depositing their earnings in a classroom bank account only they and their teachers can access.
Whittier Union High School District’s Class of 2023 scholars celebrated their academic achievements and triumphs as they crossed the graduation stage, hearing heartfelt speeches that reflected on their time in the District, during commencement ceremonies held June 5 to 7. The District celebrated graduates from the District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school. Nearly 2,700 graduates, accompanied by educators, administrators and families, shed tears of joy as they enjoyed exhilarating performances from the District's band and choir groups. Santa Fe High School, Sierra Vista High School and Frontier High School seniors, along with Whittier Union Adult School graduates, were cheered on by their families and friends during ceremonies on June 5, followed by California High School and Whittier High School graduations on June 6. La Serna and Pioneer high schools concluded the festivities with ceremonies on June 7.
El Monte Union High School District’s Class of 2023 boasts a number of high-achieving graduates, who have attained significant accomplishments in academics, leadership and community involvement, exemplifying the District’s commitment to empowering students to be resilient, life-long learners. The El Monte Union graduates selected for this special recognition are: David Granados, Rosemead High School; Yen Amber Duong Le Phan, Mountain View High School; Raven Ma, Arroyo High School; Patrick Lee, El Monte High School; Daisy Garcia, South El Monte High School; and Jose Velazquez-Macias, Fernando R. Ledesma High School.
Summit High School students are able to reimagine the world of robotics through the school’s Mechatronics career technical education pathway, where they learn electrical and mechanical engineering principles fundamental to the creation of robotic and automated systems. The high-demand skills developed in the pathway enables students to register as a pre-apprentice with the State of California, preparing them for future careers in the industry. Nine Summit High School Class of 2023 graduates – Nathaniel Anaya, Daniel Gastelum, Derek Gutierrez, Ruddy Martin Gutierrez, Sebastian Lara, Ricardo Mendiola, Carlos Romero, Orlando Serrato and Esana Tesfaye – received registered pre-apprenticeship certificates in Mechatronics for successfully demonstrating all the industry-driven occupational competencies and essential skills required for the program.
Future female trailblazers from Lynwood Unified School District got an inside look into the world of STEM and explored potential professions through the District’s career technical education programs during the annual Girl STEM Conference held on June 1. The conference brought together elementary and middle school students from across the District to celebrate female empowerment and hear from women in STEM careers, including biological sciences and nursing. Students also engaged in hands-on activities that ignited their interests in biology, robotics, physics and more.
Students from Gordon H. Beatty and Buena Park middle schools stood tall and proud, adorned with colorful leis and their best apparel as they celebrated the end of their Buena Park School District academic journeys with two spirited and emotional promotion ceremonies. The ceremonies, held at Buena Park High School’s stadium on May 31, saw the promotion of 189 Beatty Middle School and 246 Buena Park Middle School eighth-graders. The promoting students were cheered on by hundreds of visiting parents, friends and family members.
When Brandon Calderon walked across the stage to accept his high school diploma at South Hills High School’s commencement ceremony on June 7, it capped a run of nearly perfect high school attendance – an uncommon achievement in a post-pandemic world. Calderon only missed one day of school in his four years of high school – when he took a day off after finals to attend his sister’s graduation.
A Taste of Río, Río Hondo College’s biggest annual event, will bring delicious foods, fine wines, craft beer, vibrant entertainment and more when the event returns to campus from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, June 9. The event, which is produced by the Río Hondo College Foundation, will raise funds to support student scholarships, programs and equipment to promote success. For more information visit: https://www.riohondo.edu/a-taste-of-rio/. Río Hondo College is located at 3600 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier.
